Hyder A Jinnah, MD, PhD

Biography

Research Interests:

My research program addresses two different but overlapping topics. The first topic is the primary dystonias. I am PI of a program that is funded by the NIH and involves multiple centers across Europe and North America. This program is called "The Dystonia Coalition" and is devoted to accelerating clinical and translational research in primary dystonias. Our projects are designed to better understand the natural history of all forms of primary dystonia, develop practical clinical instruments for rating severity, and establish biobanks for biomarker studies such as genes. I also have a basic science research program, also funded by the NIH and several Private Foundations, that focuses on the neuroscientific aspects of dystonia, particularly its neuroanatomical basis.

The second topic is Lesch-Nyhan disease, which is classified as one of many forms of secondary dystonia. For many years I have used this disorder as a model to trace how a single gene defect can result in a complex neuropsychiatric phenotype. I have NIH funded projects that address its natural history, genetics, biochemical and anatomical bases. I also have a basic sciences research program that addresses cell and animal models of the disorder, focussing mainly on understanding the relationship between the known defect and developmental defects in brain dopamine pathways.
Collaborations: I have extensive collaborations with multiple investigators in several departments at Emory University and other institutions outside of Atlanta. I do not yet have any collaborations with primary faculty of CHOA.